I am the darling of Kenyans, Gachagua tells US media

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has refuted claims that he is a tribalist, calling the label a calculated political attack aimed at diminishing his rising popularity among Kenyans across the country.

Speaking during a media briefing in Kansas City, USA, Gachagua accused President William Ruto and his inner circle of orchestrating the narrative to weaken his growing national influence.

“William Ruto has nothing against me and the only remaining strategy is to label me a tribalist to try to demean me before the people of Kenya,” Gachagua asserted.

“Fortunately, it’s only Ruto and bloggers paid by the government who call me a tribalist. I am the darling of the Kenyan people.”

While in the USA, Gachagua blamed the government for targeting people from one region during protests that had led to loss of property.

“I have to defend the people of Mt Kenya. Businesses for our people were targeted for destruction. In other areas, they were not destroyed. This is because they wanted to intimidate the people of that region into silence,” he said.

However, Valentine Wanjiru, a U.S.-based Kenyan, accused him of being tribal, urging him to become a national leader.

“This sense of entitlement as Kikuyu must stop. If we identify solely by tribe, we only fuel division,” she said.

Gachagua, however, claimed that messages trying to portray him as a tribal leader are not gaining traction beyond government-aligned voices.

“When I was in Ukambani, thousands of people wanted to hear from me,” he said. “When I arrived at the Coast, people wanted to listen to me. In Maa land, people wanted to listen to me. In western Kenya, I was the star guest.”

He said his national tours reflect a growing appeal that cuts across ethnic and regional lines, driven by what he termed as his honest and fearless approach to politics.

“The people of Kenya listen to me and the truth I speak every day. I am very keen to stand for the people of Kenya. I talk for the people of Kenya,” he stated.

Gachagua also linked his popularity to his open opposition to recent government taxation policies, which triggered countrywide protests led by Gen Z.

“I fought for all the Gen Zs of Kenya. When I oppose over-taxation, I do it for the people of Kenya,” he said.

Describing himself as focused and unshaken, Gachagua insisted he remains committed to his mission and confident that Kenyans see through what he termed as political propaganda.

“Kenyans have understood who Riggy G is and Ruto, with his narrative, will go nowhere. I'm not intimidated; I'm strong and focused. I'm a man on a mission.”

Gachagua’s remarks come amid deepening rifts within the Kenya Kwanza administration and signs of a looming political showdown ahead of 2027.